Technology Innovation Scale

Developing a Cutting-Edge Connected Life New Retail Format

A $40B+ retail client called on Sprosty Network for assistance in bridging the gap between their existing services and their interest in providing their customers with IoT (Internet of Things) solutions.

The Challenge
Our client provided over 10 million home visits per year, but struggled with how to capitalize on the latest wave of connected consumer devices. It had no omni-channel plan to manage the many new products in categories ranging from home security and automation to wearables. In tech terms, they struggled with how to bring IoT solutions to their customers.

The Approach
Sprosty Network provided detailed category trends and surfaced opportunities for the client in each relevant product category. We then worked side by side with their business-unit presidents to create a cross-category retail experience. This experience included appropriate products, messaging and staffing.

To turn this vision into reality, we deployed a team of skilled operators with deep experience creating new retail formats. This team designed the store experience, built product assortments, on-boarded new suppliers, and finally staffed and operated three prototype stores.

The Result
The work helped our client develop a completely new business unit to manage the cross-category initiative. It cemented connectivity as an integral part of a supporting private label platform, as well as the client’s overarching omni-channel retail strategy. This start has positioned our client to scale subsequent refinements of the initial test stores, and build support for the smart home into its core corporate strategy.

As the Sprosty Network team walked the floor of CES 2018 last month, it was crystal clear that the industry has truly embraced the IoT—virtually every consumer device in every aisle was “connected” in some way. The show also provided some keen ...Read the rest